Q: We are four families planning to go to Malaysia for five nights ex- Kolkata later this year or early next year. All of us are in our 40s and our children between 12 and 18. Our queries: 1) What are the must-see places? 2) What is the likely cost of 3- to 4-star hotels in Kuala Lumpur (we would prefer to stay in KL and see other places)? 3) What would our budget be? 4) Can you suggest good entertainment parks in and around KL for the children? 5) More about local transport.

Marco Says:
Malaysia is an interesting country, with the peninsula on the one hand and the Malaysian Borneo on the other. Since you want to be based in Kuala Lumpur, I assume you’ll be restricting yourself to the peninsula. For sightseeing, apart from the city lights of the capital, there are a few must-visits: Batu caves, 13km north of KL; Bukit Fraser, one of Malaysia’s popular hill stations; the Chinese fishing village on Pulau Ketam, off the coast near Pelabuhan Klang. You could also visit the old, historic city of Melaka as a day trip. Mid-range hotels in KL range between $20 and $40, with plusher options in the city centre, but you should also consider the district of Bukit Bintang. On the whole, you should be comfortable allotting ₹45,000 to ₹55,000 per person for the trip. Malaysia has some excellent entertainment parks. There is the Berjaya Times Square Theme Park in KL and KidZania in Mutiara Damansara is 30 to 45 minutes by taxi. A 40-minute drive from KL will get you to Sunway Lagoon. There is also the fabulous Legoland in Johor Bahru, which is 330km from KL and can’t be done as a day trip by road. You could either stay there overnight or fly from KL to Johor Bahru to maximise time spent at the park. Transport in KL is easy: there are buses, trains, monorail, the Light Rail Transport as well as taxis. For travel outside KL, most sights are connected by bus or you could take taxis if you prefer to be flexible.